Phantom from Space

W. Lee Wilder's science fiction debut was 1953's "Phantom from Space," elder brother of comedy specialist Billy Wilder ("Some Like It Hot"), 'Willie' was described by his younger sibling as 'dull,' and truth be told it sadly comes across on the screen. Though he helmed two decent vehicles for Lon Chaney (1950's "Once a Thief" and 1955's "Manfish") his genre outings can only boast of a general lethargy encapsulated in this early sci-fi entry. With a title like "Phantom from Space" the audience is treated to 72 minutes of dimwitted on screen stereotypes trying to catch on to what we already know, that there is an alien human on the loose, his two (unintended) murders and one explosion discussed rather than shown, depicted by a no name cast that at least boasts some faces familiar to seasoned viewers. When they're not seated in Wilder's own cramped office or chasing around Griffith Observatory, they venture only so far as Griffith Park again (but not Bronson Caverns). To avoid costly special effects the invader is conveniently invisible without his spacesuit and diving helmet, in fact nothing is learned about who he is or where he came from, and the poor sap expires without even an acknowledgement of his purpose on Earth. Boredom kicks off early with stock footage and lazy narration, though there is a female lead of sorts, at least Noreen Nash's pretty scientist possesses more aptitude than the military morons on display. Among the cast members can be spotted Michael Mark (Ludwig, father of Little Maria in "Frankenstein"), who saw bigger parts this decade in items like "Attack of the Puppet People" and "The Wasp Woman," James Seay from Wilder's upcoming "Killers from Space," and Peter Lorre's underworld nemesis in "The Face Behind Mask," Rudolph Anders going on to play Boris Karloff's closest confidante in "Frankenstein-1970." W. Lee Wilder did several more titles for his newly formed Planet Filmways company, many of which were scripted by his son Myles - "Killers from Space," "The Snow Creature," "Fright," "The Man Without a Body," "Spy in the Sky!" and "Bluebeards Ten Honeymoons."

A low budget sci-fi that has been undeservedly overlooked, for it achieves (within its B Grade limitations) a good deal of suspense and has a plot which veers unexpectedly into some non-formulaic territory.

'Phantom From Space' is a more thoughtful, interesting and likeable exploitation of 1950s UFO hysteria than many of its better known contemporaries.

Having no money to spend on special effects or makeup, producer-director William Lee Wilder did his best to entertain us with this light-weight tale about an alien who crashlands near the Griffith Observatory and tries to allude pursuing scientists.

To save money, the filmmakers (a) never actually show the spaceship and (b) make the alien invisible.

The scientists get hold of the alien's spacesuit (which is not invisible) and examine it in their lab. The alien can't live on Earth without it (so he was pretty stupid to take it off, right?), and he tries to get it back, but the helmet is accidentally destroyed.

Dying from asphyxiation, the alien is finally cornered on a catwalk in the observatory. The scientists use ultraviolet light to make the alien visible -- but he's just a man in a rubber cap to make him look bald-headed, and a flesh-colored swimsuit to make him look naked.

The mind boggles at the idea of a sci-fi movie in which the costume man, the make-up man, and the special effects man had nothing else to do but make an invisible alien look bald-headed and naked!

Boy, we weren't the ONLY ones who got gipped, huh?

Looked at solely from a technical and directorial perspective, "Phantom from Space" is a far better film than you'd expect. The acting is consistently competent, and the director keeps things moving briskly, without the longueurs that afflict most low-budget films. Scenes often use multiple camera setups, virtually unheard-of in films shot in a couple of days.

I have to take exception to the reviewer who complained about the cheapness of the special effects. They are exceptionally good, done by Howard Anderson, at that time one of Hollywood's leading opticals/effects houses. They wouldn't be out of place in a bigger-budget film (eg, "Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man").

Don't get me wrong. This is not a particularly good movie, its principal problem being the lack of a compelling story. Had it had one, it might have become a classic.

Phantom from Space is a rare little treat for classic monster movie/sci-fi fans. The first half is incredibly dull with not a single monster sighting for about 25 minutes! Instead of thrills, the beginning offers a set-up of the boring police/news reporter/government agent business that seems to permeate many old moster flicks. BUT, once you get to the good stuff it really holds up well. It's always fascinating to watch the old invisibilty tricks harking back to Universal's Invisible Man. And check out that cool space suit! The ending tops all, thought, with a really cool effect that finally lets the viewer see the man behind the mask. Alpha Video has a release of this film on DVD with spectacular, color cover art, a quite nice print of the film, and a budget savvy price of around $5-$6 bucks! Definitely worth the price of admission for classic monster fans!